10 nastiest fandom responses to my Benedict Cumberbatch gif post

Last Thursday evening, I posted what I believed to be a harmless and lightly mocking commentary on a Tumblr blog entitled Sherlockspeare that is devoted almost entirely to nutty fantasy gifs and photos of "Sherlock" stars Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman. Well this is fun, I thought to myself innocently. People will laugh about my silly little comedy article that is relatively innocuous. I have never once made light of the Amanda Bynes meltdown. I am a good person.

Except no, apparently.

"Hey why don't you shut the FUCK UP asshole I love sherlockspeare!!!! She has an amazing blog and creates hilarious gifs!!! So why don't you just get off this website and stop sharing your stupid opinions with people because guess what Chris? You have a lot of people that don't like you. Congrats on being an ass."

So went one of exactly 100 comments (apparently meeting the so-named "Cumber Collective's" pre-arranged quota) that came in over the weekend after Ms. Sherlockspeare herself posted that she was "feeling quite offended" by my article, in a heartbreaking response that made me like I'd just delivered a vicious beating to a tiny, innocent puppy, and then gutted that puppy alive and dined on its bloody entrails. You can read her full reaction here, but following is a brief excerpt:

"I didn’t know my gifs might be that disturbing to somebody. It’s my personal blog for God’s sake and I have never imagined that some people would bother to criticize what I make and post on it. And you know, I’m not even some Tumblr famous or a big name. I’m nobody, I’m just a simple and humble blogger who likes to make weird gifs."

Oh, dammit, why did I read that. Why, oh why did I read that. Sherlockspeare, you are not a "nobody." You are a superstar who makes the craziest and most entertaining Benedict Cumberbatch gifs anywhere, and I will continue to frequent your insanely compelling website for all eternity. When I wrote that you had taken a "sparkly LSD wave up your own asshole," it was all in good fun, honest. And besides, that sounds like kind of a fun ride, you know?

Your fans, on the other hand? Holy comments section, Batman. In their world, gently teasing a Tumblr blogger apparently = bombing a kindergarten and/or running over a box of kittens with a steamroller. Think I'm exaggerating? See below for a sampling of ten ridiculously excessive responses from least to most vitriolic descriptors, followed by an original Benedict Cumberbatch gif created by yours truly that I believe most appropriately sums up the overall reaction. But first, a photo of Benedict Cumberbatch crying.

10) I am tasteless and have poor grammar

Says Elley: "Your writing is tasteless, sir. You overuse the statement "right" and it is a leading question, which should not be used. The way you word your article makes you sound like a petulant child trying to get their toddler friends to agree with them on a petty matter. You are unfairly harsh towards someone who has dedicated their time to something. Not everybody liked "The Human Centipede" and yet that grossed millions in the Box Office. Don't post articles like this, Mr Eggertsen; you lower the IQ of the whole internet when you do. ...P.S. I REGRET NOTHING!"

9) I am a mean girl and I do not understand the internet

Says Ronda: "Way to bully someone who is just trying to have fun. This isn't an article, it's bitter and disgusting. It is ridiculous that they pay you to write like a mean girl. Save this kind of hate for your diary. You obviously don't understand the internet at all so you should probably just not comment on it."

8) I am no Edward R. Murrow

Says Meg: "Well done you. You have picked on an anonymous stranger on the internet in an effort to make yourself look superior. That's the bed rock of all great op ed pieces. Excellent decision. I think that's how Murrow got his start in journalism, by bullying fan girls. Lots to be proud of here...you monumentally insensitive dirt bag."

7) I am petty, shallow-minded and have very few Twitter followers, which rightly makes me feel inadequate

Says Liz Eckhart: "Oh for god's sake. Your petty malice is showing, Chris. Not to mention your shallow-mindedness. How many Twitter followers do you have, sweetie? 245? No wonder you feel inadequate."

6) I am a petulant, malicious wannabe journalist who will not go far in this industry

Says Elley: "I seriously hope you are not wanting a professional career in journalism, my friend, because this sort of opinion would not be tolerated, and you'd receive much more hate than you are for this. It is unacceptable and you would find yourself fired, and nobody would like to employ you. ...You have some serious petulant complex, sir, and I doubt you would go far in this industry. Good day to you, Mr Eggertsen."

5) I am a spiteful bag of dicks

Says Mark: "Wow, was the entire point of this article to show how unnecessarily rude you are? Sherlockspeare (and others like her) make those gifs because they make their friends and followers smile and laugh. Now, I feel bad for you son if you can't appreciate this kind of silly, innocent humor, but that's no reason to go and be a spiteful bag of dicks about it. Grow up."

4) I am a shameless, impudent, arrogant, stupid and insulting journalist and writer who has just destroyed my own career

Says OEC: "What a shameless, impudent, arrogant, incredibly stupid and insulting article. Wow. Makes me want to vomit. You have absolutely NO right to judge a harmless blogger who does nothing more than to express her joy and love for the Sherlock series (and the leading actors) in her own, unique way, plus bringing a lot of joy and fun to the entire fandom. You had NO right, sir to bully this fan publicly. Well, you've just destroyed your career as journalist and writer. Congrats."

3) I am a pompous and passive-agressive cunt

Says Lucy: "...Stfu with your ridiculously pompous attitude. If I were to write an article about you, I def. wouldn't start it as passive aggressively as, "Can we all agree that it's not good to write an article insulting someone for having a sense of humor and interests other than our own? Well, you and I wouldn't do that b/c we are like *so* normal and likable, but this cunt Chris sure would."

2) I was probably not loved enough as a child

Says Cindy Loo Hoo: "Wow. Were you not loved enough as a child, Chris? Lighten up. This is harmless and, frankly, very cute and well-done. No need to bully someone, this article says a lot more about you than it does about this blogger. Your tumblr card has been revoked, dude."

1) I am an asshole who has never written a single worthwhile sentence or contributed anything

Says This Is So Silly: "Chris I think you need to ask yourself 'Why am I such an Asshole? When did my sense of humour die? Have I ever written a single worthwhile sentence or contributed anything?"

Well gosh, you guys. Tell me how you really feel.

And now, a dramatic interpretation of the outrage by Benedict Cumberbatch himself:

A former contributor to sites including Bloody-Disgusting and AfterElton, Eggertsen enjoys rock music, rainy days and smelling the pages of old books. You should read all of his articles and follow him on Twitter because it's the right thing to do.

Comments

Option 1

Option 2

Option 3

I apologize on behalf of the Cumbercollective for those nasty but eloquent comments you received. There are people who are incredibly sensitive in every fandom and the Cumbercollective isn't without them. :D

Sorry, dude. I didn't actually understand the sarcasm in your article (it could have been conveyed a bit more clearly) but you didn't deserve all the harsh responses. State your own opinion on the internet, and for the record, it didn't seem like you were attacking the blogger at all.

Because mentioning the blogger and providing a link - and it was only one blogger, not a sampling of the crazy gifs one can find made by a variety of Benedict fans - this is what made it sound like an attack. The mention of the blogger being stuck up her own asshole put it over the top in terms of taste as well.

I'm a long-time reader and poster at HitFix (mostly on Alan Sepinwall's blog after I followed him here from his NJ site).

And the original article mocking the Tumblr and this follow-up are not the kind of thing I'm used to from HitFix. It was unprofessional, and frankly, deserved some pushback.

a) Hitfix generally provides commentary / reviews of films, programs, music made by professionals for public release/consumption. Why did Chris instead choose to aim his commentary at single hobbyist who makes gifs for fun?

b) His so-called "lightly mocking commentary" was nothing of the sort. He was pretty harsh, particularly considering he was singling out one person, Sherlockspeare, and positioning her as the worst/craziest of the bunch.

c) Comments, "mocking" or otherwise, about the a**shole of the artist whose work you're mocking have no place in a professional review. IIRC, Roger Ebert managed to write an entire review of The Human Centipede without referring to the director's a**hole, and if any "art" deserved the reference, it was that film.

d) a follow-up post calling out people who commented on your article...? Really? From the top of the page: "HitFix - Entertainment News, Exclusives, Events and Reviews" Which one of those includes "site writer gets his/her feelings hurt and calls out critics"

I think HitFix needs a better editor if this is the kind of content they're offering as professional entertainment commentary and reviews.

Well if u were trying to have 'good fun' or were 'gently teasing' then take those comments to be of the same nature -_-Congratulations, you have brought many Benedict fans to your page by your silly article and have got a lot of unworthy attention. Now, pls keep quiet.

You know what, Chris, those girls on Tumblr are practicing something called "fandom activities" on interweb; of course once things are posted on internet, it's out there, but most of the decent entertainment outlets have the sense that those fandom activities are only supposed to be shared within the fandoms; they can go pretty hilariously insane as in-jokes, but you bet if anyone outside the fandoms mocks them, you'd be slated, because you cross the line, and this is usually not something a website like Hitfix would do, it's tasteless and usually only gossip sites would go that direction, it also says a lot that you are too desperate to generate traffic on this site for more ad revenues. I am a long-term reader and visitors of Hitfix, and you being tasteless to post that original mocking post and now capitalizing on such a cheap mocking by intimating those girls in this post again is pathetic, and I'll never be able to treat Hitfix seriously and won't visit again. My advice to anyone who's getting mad with this cheap crap: don't bother, and don't respond to it, no traffic means no ad revenues, and then the troll would go away.

I just don't understand what the point of your original "article" was. You talk of the commentators on your most recent post as vitriolic fangirls when in reality that's all you were in your original post. What was the point in seeking out and slandering someone's personal blog? She's one of the most quality gif-makers that I've seen, whether it's about Sherlock or not. Given your own gif in this article, you could take a page from her book.

if this is what a proper apology looks like, i worry for this generation. along with tasteless humor your writing is from the ignorant spectacle of an outside eye who shows no attempt to appreciate nor understand a fandom's subculture and fails to recognize they are people too. the comments you received equate your ignorance, and your ploy to gain sympathy from displaying those comments are pathetic. your response is hardly an appropriate apology to a fandom you never bothered to understand in the first place. criticism where its due.

if this is what a proper apology looks like, i worry for this generation. along with tasteless humor your writing is from the ignorant spectacle of an outside eye who shows no attempt to appreciate nor understand a fandom's subculture and fails to recognize they are people too. the comments you received equate your ignorance, and your ploy to gain sympathy from displaying those comments are pathetic. your response is hardly an appropriate apology to a fandom you never bothered to understand in the first place. criticism where its due. shallow thinking and bitter humor; learn from your mistake in humble silence.

So, Mr Eggertson...guess you've been Cumberbi*****! Hehe...I've seen and experienced worse. You think the comments directed toward you were bad? The Cumberwhatevertheywanttobecalled would have a problem with anyone who would dare question the fact that they or Mr. Cumberbatch does in fact not walk on water. They can do no wrong...ever. I tried being a fan myself, but sadly have come to realize with his and their assistance that I am just not worthy enough... I just could not bow down low enough to him or them. You must realize though, that his whole life up until now has been full of events that no one else on earth has ever experienced - Skydiving, Bee Stings, Carjackings...you name it - he's gone through it. But seriously, he is a great actor and I do look forward to his future roles. His past works have truly entertained and helped me in many ways and I am truly grateful, but the overall exclusiveness of his fandom and their attitude of "We and Benedict Cumberbatch are not worthy of anything but praise EVER" attitude makes it not worth future effort to even care what Mr. Cumberbatch does in the future. Unless you agree and with and worship everything Benedict Cumberbatch and his fandom does and says, you are not welcome in his fandom. Believe man...you got off lightly on this one!

I think it is absurd to say now that your last article was simply harmless joking. The tone of the article had none of that intent and every bit a 'wow, look at this weird thing/person I found on the internet, look at how weird and misguided they are in their use of time'. Then making reference in that same article to a Schedule 1 narcotic? Yep, not buying it.

Here's the thing. You're surprised with the response you got to your article? You shouldn't be. You are wholly unoriginal if you think you're the first wish-wash blogger to point out something someone has made on Tumblr that seemed weird and decided to mock it. Tumblr users get bombarded with those articles constantly. So their followers get more and more voracious in their defense. In some cases, rightfully so.

Also, promising Sherlockspeare that you would be returning to her blog on a regular basis to look at her gifs after your posted an article that compares them to putting hardcore narcotics into your anus is not endearing or cute but creepy and anxiety inducing.

My guess is that this "writer" is using the name Benedict Cumberbatch to drive people to his work. Seeing a bit of that these days; certain people finding reasons to include Cumberbatch in a tweet, an article, whatever because they know people will check it out. Otherwise, it's pretty incredible that this guy gets paid to write this sort of silliness - not once, but twice.

Write something worthwhile, don't use Cumberbatch's name and see who reads and comments on your "writing."

Oh you poor baby. Did the mean Cumberbatch fangirls upset you? Well you did the right thing by fighting back with another incredibly hilarious article. I could barely write this for laughing. I don't know how the comedy world has survived without you.

What goes around, comes around, dude. Singling out one person and ridiculing them online for the 'harmless' sake of fun is and always will be just one thing: Bullying. You got exactly what you deserved.

Write a comment...What goes around, comes around, dude. Singling out one person and ridiculing them online for the 'harmless' sake of fun is and always will be just one thing: Bullying. You got exactly what you deserved...

Write a comment...What goes around, comes around, dude. Singling out one person and ridiculing them online for the 'harmless' sake of fun is and always will be just one thing: Bullying. You got exactly what you deserved.

You mercilessly ridicule a Tumblr user, get called out on your bullshit by said user's followers and friends, and then try to apologize by ridiculing the people that called you out? Obviously, you don't know what the word "apologize" means. You also don't know the meanings of the words "comedy", "tact", "grace" or "journalistic integrity". Another epic fail, Mr. Eggertsen. I will no longer be reading anything on HitFix, and I hope that everyone else abandons the site as well.

Dude, all I can say you have some bollocks. Seriously, and not in a good way. Fandom people are very protective of their fandoms and the people who contribute to them. You might think it's ridiculous but to these people it's a source of joy.

Sri Sathya Sai Baba said, "Before you speak, think -Is it necessary? Is it true? Is it kind? Will it hurt anyone? Will it improve on the silence?” You may have not spoken but the words you wrote? Well it didn't improve on the silence. Either time.

I would hereby like to apologise for my horrible comments on your article the other week. I realise that it was childish, cruel and demeaning of me, and I sincerely wish that anything I said does not deter you from your career of journalism. I do, however, stand by my comment that you should not have put the link to Sherlockspeare's Tumblr account, as they may have received hate for their work which, as you experienced, isn't very nice and that you should have consulted Sherlockspeare before posting the article. But I really am sincerely sorry for my horrible words. I also applaud you in responding in a manner that wasn't as childish as ours when we read something we disliked, and for apologising to Sherlockspeare. Had I understood that your original intent was to be sarcastic, witty and lightly mocking, I most probably would've laughed along jokingly with "yes, these are pretty strange, but 'haha' funny strange" but it really was the last comment "sparkly LSD wave up your own asshole" that made it seem more like an attack than a general "check out these weird GIFs" sort of article. I'm not trying to back up my hate with reasons, but I do feel as though you deserve an apology after the amount of shit we put you through, and once more, thank you for apologising to Sherlockspeare. I am extremely sorry for my disgusting words of hate.

Aw, come on. The article was really lame and you probably know it yourself.:) It's easy to take any random blogger, point the finger at them and make fun of their hobbies or interests. I'm glad the girl doesn't have any personal info or photographs on her page - you'd probably made fun of them too. How do you feel when people discuss your orientation in public? I'm sure it doesn't always feel "harmless and lightly mocking"(yep, I'm sick of this society too:)). But, dude, personal stuff is personal.So I guess this feedback was really expected. Nasty responses to a nasty post.:)

You know, I get there is a difference between supporting a friend of the CUmbercollective, but this really goes to far. It wasn't meant as harm.

Then again, I didn't read the article. Maybe some of the things you said were in good fun, but taken the wrong way because they were poorly worded? I don't know, but believe me, most of the Cumberbitches (yes, I'm using that word, and I have a point to it here) are not what the name says. They're generally quite the opposite.

Jesus Christ i'm in the fandom and it is offensive you provided a link to her blog. The way you went about it was harsh i mean fandom is something very personal to someone, don't tease about it. And then mocking the comments in an article that only you could care about? I mean who could care about what happens after you wrote an article. Let her be offended I mean you're making a big deal out of it, so please stop.

Yeah well I don't like a lot of stuff people post on Tumblr about Benedict and Sherlock and all related but whatevz I just pass them by. Also I actually seen worst posts that yours. So you should chill out and don't make this kind of posts that create even more rage. Is not healty for anyone.

How so? Dear God. The Cumbercollectives love him and his works, but some of us even tries not to post pictures if he's on holiday/off work. We try to respect the man's privacy. And you compare us to terrorists? Are you joking, good Griff? Please take the example of his Japanese fans recently, despite the limited amount of time, they never took one step out of line when meeting or seeing Benedict.The original article itself was mean spirited, and if you look at it there was hardly any tone of sarcasm. Please don't judge the cumbercollective merely by this post, do your research.Thank you and have a nice day.

I am by 'A passing Cumbercollective'. Don't compare US to AlQaeda, that's really unnecessary. I like Cumberbatch movies, but I could careless about his personal life, and I am not a terrorist, you are with such comment. I believe there is people obsessed that can and do hurt actors and singers and whoever is on the 'celeb list' right now. But in this case, this blogger isn't one of them. I don't mind the article to be honest, I thought it was quite funny and it is too much that amount of gifs. Anyway, I am not protective of Cumberbatch since I have never met him, I barely consider myself a Cumbercolective, even though I love his voice and his acting skills, though this is no cause for a rebel. This was an article, well... Good things happen, bad things too. I am sorry for Sherlockspeare but I guess it is too obsessive, and that's why the actors say overall that the fandoms are quite mental. And so they are, but I refuse to be compared to a terrorist, me at least. I don't care about his personal life, it's his not mine!